Pivoted wicket bag opening dispenser

ABSTRACT

A packaging bag dispenser for wicket-holed stacked bags, having a platen and a pair of wicket supports mounted thereon, the supports being disposed to mount a stack of bags to be dispensed, and to hold the wicket-holed portions of the stacked bags elevated from the platen surface in a position to form troughs between the wicket holes in the stacked bags.

United States Patent Nausedas 1 51 Nov. 11, 1975 [5 PIVOTED WICKET BAGOPENING 3.454.166 7/1969 Dinges 211/57 DISPENSER 3.763.627 10/1973Kupcikevicius 53/189 3.770.134 11/1973 Kupcikevicius 1 211/57 Inventor:J p A.Nausedas,Ch1cag0. Ill. 3.777.930 12/1973 121165611 211/57 [73]Assignee: Union Carbide Corporation, New

York, NY, Primary E.\'an11'11er-Al1en N. Knowles [22] Filed: Nov. 1974Attorney, Agent, or Fzrm-Maunce W. Ryan 2 [-1] Appl. No.. 520,834 [57] yABSTRACT A packaging bag dispenser for wic ket-ho1ed stacked 1. 211/57,221/2X427(I):6//5/3g bags having a platen and a pair of wicket supportsI I mounted thereon supperts being disposed to [58] Field of Search221/26, 312 A, 312/189,

748/95 711/59 206/526 53/189 mount a stack of bags to be dispensed. andto hold the 7 wicket-holed portions of the stacked bags elevated fromthe platen surface in a position to form troughs [56] References Cltedbetween the wicket holes in the stacked bags.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.312.339 4/1967 Million 206/526 9 Claims 4Drawing Figures US. Patent .Nov. 11, 1975 PIVOTED WICKET BAG OPENINGDISPENSER This invention relates to a wrapping sheet or packaging bagdispenser and more particularly, to a dispenserholder and dispensingtcchnique uniquely suitable for wicket-holed flexible plastic filmpackaging station. While, for the sake of simplification. the presentinvention will be described in connection with particular embodimentsrelating to plastic film bags used in the rapid packaging of ,meatarticles, it should be understood that the invention is not necessarilylimited to such embodiments and utilizations, but may also be practicedand enjoyed in a variety of other ways.

Packaging operations in industry are of significant import and interesttowards promoting the rapid, efficient and economical packaging ofproducts for the market. Food'packaging generally and the meat packingindustry in particular require additionally the strict maintenance ofsanitary conditions. Automatic or semiautomatic packaging techniqueshave been devel' oped towards achievement of these desired goals.semiautomatic packing techniques, that is to say those requiring thecooperation of a human operator with a machine, are uniquely of interestto the meat packing industry since the products being packagedfrequently are not exactly alike as to size, shape and weight, acircumstance militating against fully automatic packing.

The copending application of Kupcikevicus, Ser. No. 345,933, filed Mar.29, 1973 discloses an apparatus for the semiautomatic continual baggingof primal meat cuts varying in size, shape and weight. Such an apparatusin use requires an adjacent supply of packing bags in an assortment ofsizes and these bags must be arranged for facile one at a time removalfrom their respective supply stacks for use in the bagging operation.Bagging operations of this type, it is important to note, are usuallycarried out in cold rooms at temperatures only slightly above freezing.It is important then that the bag holding and dispensing technique beconsistently reliable in assuring easy one at a time bag availability tothe packaging operator. Heretoforethe bags have been loosely stacked intrays or bins, or have been held flat and stacked by spring loaded holddown leash bars or the like, or have been held stacked flat on wicketposts passing through wicket holes in the bags. None of thesearrangements has been found in experience to be completely suitable.With loosely stacked bags the top bag being, removed tends to pull thebag beneath it into disarray and the stack soon becomes a.

disorderly pile. The hold down and the other bag restrainingarrangements require significant and bothersome pullingaction by theoperator and, if they malfunction, also cause bag stack disarray andsometime With this then being the state of theart, the present inventionwas conceived and developed to provide a bag holding and dispensingtechnique for wicket-holed bags wicket mounted so as to provide a singleeasily graspable bag'ply of the uppermost bagon a wicketed stack andinsure consistently reproduceable one ata time removal of bags from thestack, each in an opened 2 condition, ready to be placed on an articleto be packaged.

The invention also provides a bag holding and dispensing apparatus andmethod uniquely suitable to meat packing cold room operations.

A still further and important attribute of the invention is that itpermits the ready availability of a wide assortment of bag sizes atsemi-automatic packaging stations.

Another important feature of the invention is its adaptability for usewith a wide variety of styles of wic ket-holedbags.

These and other features and advantages of j the invention will be themore fully understood and appreciated from'the insuing detaileddescription and from the drawings herein: l I

FIG. 1 is a isometric view showing a stack of wicketholed bags mountedon an embodiment of apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of a stack of wicket-hold bags mounted onapparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a isometric view of apparatus according to the invention butwithout a bag stack in place thereon; and

FIG. 4- is a detailed sectional view of a pivoted wicket mounting postof an embodiment of apparatus according to the invention.

In general, the invention comprehends an apparatus for mounting amultiplicity of wicket holed flexible plastic film sheet articles, eachlhaving two wicket holes on spaced centers adjacent one edge thereof,for one at a time dispensing, comprising, in combination, platen meansdisposed to hold the articles in stacked array, a pair of wicket postmeans extending upwardly relative to the platen means locateable onspaced centers apart a distance less than the distance between thespaced wicket holes in the sheet articles, and means to hold the wicketholed portion of the multiplicity of articles elevated relative to theplaten means.

In normal usages the platen is arranged and disposed in planarorientation and attitude closer to horizontal than to vertical, and thewicket posts are attached to and extend from the platen by means of armsmounted pivotally on the platen to move the wicket post be tween afirstposition at spaced centers apart a distance at least as great as thedistance between the spaced wicket holes in the sheet articles and asecond position at spaced centers apart a distance less than thedistance between the spaced wicket holes in the sheet articles. Bushingsor washer type elements may be advantageously mounted on the wicketposts to effect bearing contact with the underside of the stacked arrayof artic'les at the loci of the wicket holes therethrough,

, thereby raising the stacked array of articles above the platenelevation.

The essentials of the invention as a method for holding a multiplicityof wicket holed flexible plastic film sheet articles, each having twowicket holes on spaced centers adjacent one edge thereof, are comprisedin With reference to the drawings, there is shown generally a bundle orstack 6 of flattened flexible plastic packaging bags 4, each having aclosed bottom end 5, an open mouth end 7, and wicket holes 9 through theflattened plies adjacent the edge of the open mouth end 7. The wicketholes 9 through the bags 4 are in substantial registration throughoutthe stack 6, being imposed on flexible binding member 10 elements ofplastic tubing for instance.

The bags are arranged in stacked array on a platen which is helddisposed in a planar orientation closer to the horizontal than to thevertical by a rear support 22 and a front support 24 extending upwardlyfrom a base 26, with the wicket holes 9, as shown in FIG. 4, imposed bymeans of the binding member 10 elements on a pair of wicket post pins 32extending upwardly from wicket postv cups 34. The pins 32 and cups 32are comprised in a pair of wicket sockets indicated generally at 30. Thesockets shown generally at are pivotally mounted adjacent the outboardend of platen 20. Each socket 30 comprises an arm or swing plate 36pivotally secured by pivot 38 to platen 20, and mounts a cup 34 and pin32 as shownoutboard of its pivot 38. Each pin 32 is coaxially alignedwith a respective cup 34 and extends outwardly therefrom to serve as apilot or guide means for threading tubing such as a binding member 10element onto the wicket sockets 30 assembly to mount the bag stack 6thereon.

The sockets 30 may be limited in pivotal movement by means other thanand in addition to the limited movement inherent in their full pivotalswings, but in any case, it is only necessary in the illustratedembodiment that they be pivotally moveable between a first positionwherein the distance between pin 32 centerlines is at least as great as,preferably equal to, the distance between centerlines of the wicketholes in the flattened bags, and a second position wherein the distancebetween the pin 32 centerlines is less than the distance betweencenterlines of the wicket holes in the flattened bags. I

Washers 16 are provided on'the binding member 10 elements as shown andserve to hold the bag stack elevated at the wicket hole loci above theplaten.

In use, the bag stack 6 is arrayed on platen 20, the wicket sockets arepositioned for wicket post alignment with the bagstack wicket holes withthe bags in flattened position. and the bags are imposed by means oftheir wicket holes on the wicket post assemblies to rest thereon withthe bag mouth edge of the stack 6 elevated from the platen 20 by meansof the washers l6. Atthis point, if the pivotal movement of the wicketsocket assemblies is sufficiently free, the weight of the bags willcause the stack 6 to assume the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings, that is to form a trough-like depression with the stackbag material developed as the wicket sockets move towards and into theirsecond position. If necessary, the wicket socket assemblies can bepivoted to the second position to produce the desired troughconfiguration. Whenso disposed, the upper ply of the topmost bag of thestacked array will tend to lift from the lower ply thereof, scuffingupwardly and inwardly to some extent towards the bag back and presentinga readily graspable area at the bag mouth which permits facile removalof the topmost bag in an opened condition ready for use in a packagingoperation.

FIG. 3 shows an apparatus embodiment according to the invention withouta bag stack in place thereon.

While, in the described and illustrated embodiment, certain specificstructures are discussed and treated, alternatives within the spirit ofthe invention are possible. For instance, it is not essential that thewicket post or socket assemblies pivot at all, it being quite possible,but perhaps not too convenient, to load wicket holed bags onto fixedwicket posts. It is necessary to this invention only that the troughconfiguration be formed at the wicket holed edge of the bag stack, andthis is done quite simply with any suitable arrangement of wicket postsat a centerline spacing distance less than the centerline flat spacingdistance between the wicket holes in the bags being mounted, incombination with means to hold the bags being so mounted elevated abovethe platen surface on which the main portion of the bags in the bagstack rests.

In the described and illustrated embodiments the bags involved are bagsmounted on a flexible wicket binding according to the invention coveredin the copending application of Nausedas et al., Ser. No. 516,240, filedOct. 18, 1974 and assigned to the same assignee as is the application.These inventions have been found to work together advantageously.

Other alternatives modes of practicing this invention, but well withinits spirit, will, in the light of this disclosure, undoubtedly occur topersons conversant with the art. The disclosure herein is thus intendedas illustrative only and should not be construed in any limiting sense,the scope and measure of the invention being defined in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for mounting a multiplicity of wicket holed flexibleplastic film sheet articles, each having two wicket holes on spacedcenters adjacent one edge thereof, for one at a time dispensing,comprising, in combination,

platen means disposed to hold the articles in stacked array,

a pair of wicket post means extending upwardly relative to the platenmeans locatable on spaced centers apart a distance less than thedistance between the spaced wicket holes in the sheet articles, and

means to hold. the wicket holed portion of the multiplicity of articleselevated relative to the platen means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said platen means is arrangedand disposed in planar orientation and attitude closer to horizontalthan to vertical.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wicket post means areattached to and extend from said platen means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wicket post means aremoveable between a first position at spaced centers apart a distance atleast as great as the distance between the spaced wicket holes in thesheet articles and a second position at spaced centers apart a distanceless than the distance between the spaced wicket holes in the sheetarticles.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said wicket post means extendfrom respective arms mounted pivotally on said platen means to move thewicket post means between and into said first and said second positions.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means to hold the wicketholed portion of the multiplicity of articles elevated relative to theplaten means comprises a washer arranged and disposed on each of thepair of 6 wicket post means to effect bearing contact with the disposingthe articles in stacked array on a preseunderside of the stacked arrayof articles at the loci of lected reference p n n a p r r l n the wicketholes th re h h closer to horizontal than to vertical,

7 Apparatus f mounting a multiplicity of Wicket maintaining the wicketholes therethrough in sub- 5 stantial registration through the stackedarray at centerlines apart a distance less than the distance betweencenterlines of the wicket holes with the articles flattened,

and holding the stacked array of articles elevated holed flexibleplastic film sheet articles, each having two wicket holes on spacedcenters adjacent one edge thereof, comprising, in combination,

a platen arranged and disposed to hold the articles in Stacked m planaronentzltlon and attitude 10 from the preselected reference plane at theloci of closer to horizontal than to vertlcal; the wicket holestherethrough 11 Of Wlckct posts extending p y relative to 9. A methodfor mounting a multiplicity of wicket the P i holed flexible plasticfilm sheet articles, each having a pair of arms each fixedly attached toa respective two wicket holes on spaced centers adjacent one edge wicketpost mounted pivotally on the platen to 15 thereof, comprising the stepsof,

move between a first position wherein said wicket disposing the articlesin stacked array atop a platen posts are at spaced centers apart atleast equal to Surface,

the distance between the spaced wicket holes in the imposing thearticles by their Wicket holes on Wicket sheet articles and a secondposition wherein said P mcahs disposing said wicket post means with thearticles imposed thereon a distance apart less than the distance betweenthe spaced centers of the two wicket holes in each of the articles. and

holding the stacked multiplicity of articles elevated wicket posts areat spaced centers apart a distance less than the distance between thespaced wicket holes in the sheet articles, and

a washer arranged and disposed on each wicket post to effect bearingcontact with the underside of and 75 from Said platen surface at theloci of the Wicket to hold the stacked array of articles elevated fromholes therethtrough the Phheh 0h the wlchet P whereby a troughdepression is formed in the stacked A method for hokhhg a multlphchy ofarticles between the wicket holes thereof extending holed flexibleplastic film sheet articles, each having i dl f the edge thereofadjacent the wicket two wicket holes on spaced centers adjacent one edge30 holes.

thereof, comprising the steps of

1. Apparatus for mounting a multiplicity of wicket holed flexibleplastic film sheet articles, each having two wicket holes on spacedcenters adjacent one edge thereof, for one at a time dispensing,comprising, in combination, platen means disposed to hold the articlesin stacked array, a pair of wicket post means extending upwardlyrelative to the platen means locatable on spaced centers apart adistance less than the distance between the spaced wicket holes in thesheet articles, and means to hold the wicket holed portion of themultiplicity of articles elevated relative to the platen means. 2.Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said platen means is arranged anddisposed in planar orientation and attitude closer to horizontal than tovertical.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wicket postmeans are attached to and extend from said platen means.
 4. Apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein said wicket post means are moveable betweena first position at spaced centers apart a distance at least as great asthe distance between the spaced wicket holes in the sheet articles and asecond position at spaced centers apart a distance less than thedistance between the spaced wicket holes in the sheet articles. 5.Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said wicket post means extendfrom respective arms mounted pivotally on said platen means to move thewicket post means between and into said first and said second positions.6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means to hold the wicketholed portion of the multiplicity of articles elevated relative to theplaten means comprises a washer arranged and disposed on each of thepair of wicket post means to effect bearing contact with the undersideof the stacked array of articles at the loci of the wicket holestherethrough.
 7. Apparatus for mounting a multiplicity of wicket holedflexible plastic film sheet articles, each having two wicket holes onspaced centers adjacent one edge thereof, comprising, in combination, aplaten arranged and disposed to hold the articles in stacked array inplanar orientation and attitude closer to horizontal than to vertical; apair of wicket posts extending upwardly relative to the platen, a pairof arms each fixedly attached to a respective wicket post mountedpivotally on the platen to move between a first position wherein saidwicket posts are at spaced centers apart at least equal to the distancebetween the spaced wicket holes in the sheet articles and a secondposition wherein said wicket posts are at spaced centers apart adistance less than the distance between the spaced wicket holes in thesheet articles, and a washer arranged and disposed on each wicket postto effect bearing contact with the underside of and to hold the stackedarray of articles elevated from the platen on the wicket post.
 8. Amethod for holding a multiplicity of wicket holed flexible plastic filmsheet articles, each having two wicket holes on spaced centers adjacentone edge thereof, comprising the steps of disposIng the articles instacked array on a preselected reference plane in a planar orientationcloser to horizontal than to vertical, maintaining the wicket holestherethrough in substantial registration through the stacked array atcenterlines apart a distance less than the distance between centerlinesof the wicket holes with the articles flattened, and holding the stackedarray of articles elevated from the preselected reference plane at theloci of the wicket holes therethrough.
 9. A method for mounting amultiplicity of wicket holed flexible plastic film sheet articles, eachhaving two wicket holes on spaced centers adjacent one edge thereof,comprising the steps of, disposing the articles in stacked array atop aplaten surface, imposing the articles by their wicket holes on wicketpost means, disposing said wicket post means with the articles imposedthereon a distance apart less than the distance between the spacedcenters of the two wicket holes in each of the articles, and holding thestacked multiplicity of articles elevated from said platen surface atthe loci of the wicket holes therethrough, whereby a trough depressionis formed in the stacked articles between the wicket holes thereofextending inwardly from the edge thereof adjacent the wicket holes.